Puppy Bowl XII: Meet Stanley the skunk referee, chicken cheerleaders

When the Puppy Bowl airs on Animal Planet Sunday night, there will of course be plenty of puppies. At the same time, there will also be plenty of opportunities to see some new faces as well.

So who can you expect this time around? Here’s a look at some of the newest editions to the animal event.

Stanley the Skunk – Per Vanity Fair, the skunk is going to be an assistant referee. Instead of throwing flags, does he just send out terrible smells to everyone participating in the game when something goes wrong?

Chicken cheerleaders – Hey, why not? There’s always some sort of ridiculous animal cheerleaders, so it may as well be chickens this time around.

Kittens – They are a staple of halftime, and hopefully the rival Kitten Bowl that has come into fruition as of late will not change that.

A turtle – Apparently, a turtle decides that it is a good idea to streak across the field at one point. Could this make for one of the better moments of the entire event?

As for the puppies, the are all between 12 and 24 weeks old, and after the taping of the events many of them end up being adopted by families. This is one of those few TV events that is entirely guilt-free, since everyone involved in one way or another ends up finding some sort of happiness in the end. It’s silly, lighthearted TV at its finest.

Want to get some other news when it comes to the Puppy Bowl? Then be sure to head over here to take a video peek right away for the big show Sunday! Also, you can sign up over here to get some other TV news on everything we cover, sent right over to you via our official CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: Animal Planet.)